In a twist of events that would fit in a crime thriller, 34-year-old Delta Airlines co-pilot Rustom Bhagwagar was arrested in mid-air after he landed his flight at San Francisco International Airport.
The India-born pilot was arrested Saturday night on a federal child sex abuse investigation that’s said to have been in progress since April.
Federal officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in conjunction with sheriff’s deputies, raided Delta Airlines Flight 2809 shortly after it landed. By eyewitness accounts quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle, the officers rushed down the aisle guns drawn and badges visible, making a beeline for the cockpit where Bhagwagar was piloting. They handcuffed him immediately and escorted him out past bewildered passengers who had no idea what was happening.
Bhagwagar stands before five counts of copulation orally with a child under 10, in accordance with a statement issued by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. The arrest comes after a three-month operation that started when authorities received a report of disturbing allegations of sex crimes against a child. From then on, the case had been brooding silently until Saturday night’s dramatic raid.
The flight, which was on a Boeing 757-300, had landed from somewhere undisclosed at about 9:35 PM when the police acted. The pilot is currently in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility, with his bail set at an extortionate $5 million, as confirmed by the Sheriff’s Office to CBS News.
Delta Airlines released a short statement that it would leave comments to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s and Sheriff’s offices at this time. The airline would not provide any further information about Bhagwagar’s employment status or if other internal measures were being taken.
This arrest has major implications for aviation security and background checks, particularly given that Bhagwagar was commercial flying while under investigation. Although the authorities have not indicated if the criminal acts are alleged to have happened prior to or while he was working for Delta, the accusations have shaken the aviation community and the public.
Passengers on Flight 2809, who were still shaken by the bizarre experience, described being shocked by the unexpected turmoil as police stormed the cabin. Nobody anticipated that the pilot would be targeted. It’s not known how many other flights Bhagwagar might have flown during the investigation.
As the legal case continues, attention now turns to what Delta was aware of, and when. But for now, Bhagwagar is behind bars as more information is set to come to light in what’s already one of the most sickening pilot-related scandals in recent history.
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